A new neon light scam has hit Suffolk Facebook groups, with one victim saying an advertising post vanished as soon as the money left her bank account.

The scam claims the user has recently taken classes to learn how to make neon signs and offers discounted products to build their portfolio.

Ellie Gregg, 18, was among dozens of Suffolk residents who left comments on the posts.

"The lady kept calling me 'hun' and sending me different templates, colours and sizes," she said.

"It seemed very real."

Ipswich Star: Ellie Gregg, 18, was amongst dozens of Suffolk residents who left comments on the posts.Ellie Gregg, 18, was amongst dozens of Suffolk residents who left comments on the posts. (Image: Ellie Gregg)

The Hadleigh-based teen said red flags were raised when she was asked to transfer £45 to an account with a different name.

READ MORE: Have you fallen victim to lost and injured dog scam plaguing Suffolk Facebook groups?

"She said she was having withdrawal issues, so wanted me to transfer the money to what was supposedly her daughter's account," she added.

However, once the money had changed hands, Miss Gregg never heard from the scammer again.

"It's been a huge learning curve," she said.

"Because it was a local noticeboard, I trusted it a bit more. But the post has gone now and so has my money."

Ipswich Star: The scam claims the user has recently taken classes to learn how to make neon signs and offers discounted products to build their portfolio.The scam claims the user has recently taken classes to learn how to make neon signs and offers discounted products to build their portfolio. (Image: Supplied)

Suffolk Trading Standards has since detailed a few ways in which users can verify a post before exchanging money:

  • Read the information carefully, looking for spelling errors and out-of-place information.
  • Check the profile of the person posting. Has it been created very recently? Do they appear to live locally?
  • Do a reverse image search on Google. That will show if the image has been used elsewhere, for adverts or websites.
  • Copy and paste the text from the post into the Facebook search bar to see if other posts appear elsewhere on the platform.
  • If you suspect a scam, report it to Facebook.

If you have lost money to a scammer, report it to your bank immediately.

Report all scams to Suffolk Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.